Soccer falls 0-2 at Bobcat Shootout

The Georgia College women’s soccer team suffered two losses this weekend in the Bobcat Shootout on Sept. 9 and 11 on the field at West Campus.The two non-conference games played by the women this weekend were intended to get them ready for the rigorous season ahead. The Peach Belt Conference boasts to be one of the best in Division II.Currently ranked seventh in a Southeast region poll, the women’s soccer team is one of seven Peach Belt teams in the rankings.

Tusculum College, Wingate University and Nova Southeastern University all competed in the shootout, each team playing one game on Friday and one on Sunday.

“We played well, but we have to find a way to finish,” Head Coach Hope Clark said.

On Sept. 9, when the Bobcats stepped onto their home field at West Campus against Wingate, they secured the first goal at 16:57 into the game when a shot by sophomore midfielder/forward Brittaney Borror placed the ball into the back of the Bulldogs’ net to take the 1-0 lead. This goal was Borror’s first of the season and was assisted by freshman forward Abby Dalton.

The Bulldogs responded  shortly after at 23:30, a shot from 20 yards by Wingate’s A.J. Lightbody found its way into the Bobcats’ goal to tie the score at 1-1.

Wingate struck again shortly after at 36:46 into the first half when Jade Montgomery placed a header into the Bobcats’ goal off a free kick near the left corner, giving the Bulldogs a 2-1 edge.

The Bulldogs managed to keep their lead over the Bobcats, and by half-time, GC was still trailing 1-2.

With 11 shots against Wingate, and only one translating into a goal, the Bobcats scrambled throughout the second half in search of another goal. Leading the charge was junior marketing major Leah Frazier. Frazier had two astounding shots, but Wingate’s keeper parried both.

Although GC fought hard in the second half, they were unable to score, and the game ended in a Wingate victory with the final score at 2-1.

“It was just an unlucky night; things just weren’t going our way,” Borror said.

In the Bobcats’ goal, freshman Annie Stephens blocked four shots.

“This is a very young team. We need some more experience,” Clark said.However, with a promising young group, the team can only grow in camaraderie as the season progresses.

Coming onto the field on Sunday, the Bobcats squared off against Tusculum. The presentation of the colors by GMA’s color guard and a moment of silence in remembrance of 9/11 began the game.

When the game began against the Pioneers, Georgia College and Tusculum played aggressively, but neither team was able to score for the first 45 minutes, and halftime arrived with the score of 0-0.

When the second half began, Georgia College and the Pioneers continued to play aggressively. While not shooting as often as the Bobcats, Tusculum broke the 0-0 deadlock at 73:08 with a 35-yard shot in the left side of the net for the lead.

Dalton had two daring shots miss the goal in her attempt to tie up the game. Her second shot, with 6:35 remaining in the game, hit the crossbar. Although the Bobcats fought hard to tie the score with Tusculum, they were unable to score any goals and the Pioneers took the 1-0 victory.

“We’ve got to string two halves together,” Clark said.

In the Bobcats’ goal, Stephens had more stopping power in this game, with six saves on goal.

“The team is deep, and everybody is contributing,” Clark said. “I think everybody coming in off the bench was a great spark.”

With their record at 1-3, the Bobcats are back in action the weekend of Sept. 16, when they will travel to Florida to play in the Tampa Tournament. On Sept. 16, Georgia College will face Barry University and on Sept. 18, they will face the tournament’s host, the University on Tampa.

“We play a tough schedule, and that’s to get us ready for the Peach Belt,” Clark said.

Posted by Nick Widener on Sep 15 2011. Filed under Lead stories, Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.